If it were up to Alex Edler, he’d never play for another NHL team. He’d sign a contract extension — perhaps a couple of extensions — and eventually retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

That’s what he told me last season, and the 32-year-old defenceman reiterated that message Wednesday in a conversation with The Athletic’s Jason Botchford.

“I always said I liked it here,” Edler told The Athletic during the Canucks’ annual golf tournament. “If something can be worked out, I would love to stay here. Even though we’ve had some tough years, this is kind of an exciting thing to go through. There’s change and a lot of young guys are coming in. You see how they are developing. There’s nothing now, but we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. All I can do is play good hockey.”

Of course, even if Edler does play well, he may not get that extension with the Canucks. A...